Alex,
For the non-scientists on the list like myself, I got lost after the second
10 dollar word. Does this boil down to "Antifreeze for plants OK,
Antifreeze for bleeders bad."
On the subject of vehicular fluid disposals, some auto parts stores are set
up to recycle Antifreeze. As an aside, when I worked at a Volvo dealership,
they had their own recycling process setup. I believe that the intent was
to squeeze even more money out of the customers. (This guy raised the shop
hour rate to over $60/hour back more than a decade ago - in an area where
the rate for other luxury cars was about $45 - 50/hour)
Sid
>From: Alex Avery <aavery@rica.net>
>Reply-To: Alex Avery <aavery@rica.net>
>To: JOHNSOF@aol.com
>CC: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
>Subject: Coolant disposal debate, ad nauseum
>Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 16:08:38 -0400
>
>Uh, it's not pretty nasty to be dumping on your lawn, dude. They use it at
>airports to deice planes--in huge quantities. Ethylene glycol is harmless
>to plants and soil bacteria. It's not a persistant pollutant, it is
>readily digested by lots of stuff, so dumping it on your lawn is a way to
>let nature break it down. The EPA says "Ethylene glycol appears to
>represent a low hazard to the environment" for the above reasons. It takes
>over 100 grams/milliliter to be toxic to fish.
>
>The reason ethylene glycol is toxic to humans is not because it itself is
>toxic but because of metabolites produced after your body breaks it
>down--Glycoaldehyde, Glycolic Acid, Glyoxylic acid, and Oxalate. The
>treatment for EG poisoning is ethyl alcohol (hard liquer)--lots of it! The
>ethyl alcohol competes for the enzymes in your body that digest ethylene
>glycol into the toxic by-products.
>
>For you really die-hard science geeks (like me) here are the details of
>mammalian ethylene glycol toxicity: The metabolites inhibit oxidative
>phosphorylation, sulfhydrl-containing enzymes, and protein synthesis.
>Glycolic acid is the major cause of the metabolic acidosis that is seen in
>ethylene glycol toxicity, although glyoxylic acid also may contribute.
>Toxicity from ethylene glycol is produced from the above metabolites and
>the fact that they cause a severe acidosis, as well as from the fact that
>oxalate precipitates with calcium to produce widespread tissue injury in
>the kidney, brain, liver, blood vessels, and pericardium. Hypocalcemia may
>also result.
>
>Sorry for the length but I really hate misinformation and love scientific
>stuff like this.
>Alex Avery
>Director of Research
>Hudson Institute
>Center for Global Food Issues
>'78 280Z and caretaker of dad's SRL311-7278
>
>
>At 03:19 PM 7/9/01 -0400, JOHNSOF@aol.com wrote:
> >Uh, it's pretty nasty to be dumping on your lawn...most municipalities
> >suggest pouring it down your toilet, since the waste treatment plant will
> >dilute it down and as you say the bacteria will have a chance to break it
> >down. I have a septic tank/drain field, so I collect the old antifreeze
>and
> >once a year take it to the county recycling facility where I can dispose
>of
> >it there. I'd like to think that they recycle it, but maybe they dispose
>of
> >it too.
> >
> >Fred J.
> >Wisc.
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